Rooter attachment for bulldozers



March 5, 1957 C. D. FORTE ROUTER ATTACHMENT FOR BULLDOZERS 2 She ets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 20, 1953 INVENTOR. CARL D. FORTE.

ATTORNEX March 5, 1957 c. D. FORTE 2,783,559

ROOTER ATTACHMENT FOR BULLD'OZERS Filed Oct. 20, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i 4 42 INVENTOR.

i CARL D. FOR TE.

A 7 TORNE 4 United v rates Patent ROOTER ATTACHMENT FOR BULLDOZ ERS Carl D. Forte, Los Angeles, Calif.; Helen A. Forte, ad-

ministratrix of said Carl D. Forte, deceased, assignor to said Helen A. Forte Application October 20, 1953, Serial No. 387,100

2 Claims. (Cl. 37-445) My invention relates to attachments-for bulldozers, and more particularly, although not necessarily, to rooter attachments of the character set forth in my United States Patent No. 2,297,677 issued October 6, 1942. Such a rooter attachment comprises a standard having a rooter tooth or point adjustable thereon; a saddle for securing the lower end of the standard to the lower part of the moldboard of a bulldozer; a bracket provided on the upper end of the standard and carrying an adapter engaging the upper part of the moldboard; and means for adjusting the bracket to bring both the adapter and saddle into secure clamping relation to the moldboard so as to fixedly mount the rooter tooth in operable position on the moldboard.

The aforesaid bracket-adjusting means comprises a short bolt of relatively large diameter coursely threaded in the bracket, and engaging a part of the standard so that by turning the bolt, in one direction a force is imparted to the bracket to turn the same on its pivot and bring it into clamping engagement with the moldboard. Because of the size of the bolt and its course threads, an unusually large and heavy wrench is required to turn the same, and such a wrench is very diiiicult to handle. Also because of the location of the bolt with respect to other parts of the attachment, it is subject to damage in the use of the attachment, and is exposed to an accumulation of earth on the threads thereof which render turning of the bolt extremely difficult.

It is the purpose of my present invention to provide a rooter attachment which is characterized by an adjusting means for the clamping bracket that can be actuated with relative ease and through the use of a small wrench, is associated with the bracket so as to be protected against possible damage and the accumulation of dirt thereon to insure easy operation thereof at all times, and affords such a wide angular adjustment of the bracket that the attachment is mountable on moldboards of widely varying widths.

I will describe onlyone form of rooter attachment embodying my invention in its application to one form of bulldozer moldboard, and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

- In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view showing in perspective a moldboard of a bulldozer having applied thereto one form of two identical rooter attachments embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of one of the rooter attachments as applied to the moldboard.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line ie-. 9 i

2,783,559 Patented I Mar. 5, 1957 Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the clamping bracket adjusting means.

Fig. 8 is a rear elevational view of the standard of the attachment.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, my invention in its present embodiment comprises a rooter tooth T fixed on the lower end of a shank K which is longitudinally adjustable in a standard S and securable in various positions of adjustment by means of a pin 15 to cause the tooth T to dig the earth at different depths depending upon the adjustment of the shank.

In Figs. 1, 2 and 3 is shown the moldboard M of a bulldozer, which is of conventional construction in that it is provided along its lower edge with a blade B, and at its upper edge with an angle bar R in this particular instance. For mounting the rooter attachment on the moldboard in the position illustrated, the attachment has a saddle D shaped to receive the blade B and which is pivotally mounted on the lower end of the standard S by means of a pin P.

The upper end of the standard S is securable to the upper edge of the moldboard M by means of a clamping bracket C containing an adapter A shaped to receive and embrace the bar R. This bracket is pivotally mounted on the upper part of the standard S by means of a pin 16, and through the medium of an adjusting means (to be described hereinafter), the clamping bracket is movable about pin 15 as a center to cause the adapter to engage the bar R and clamp it securely thereto, as well as to simultaneously lift the saddle D so that it securely embraces the blade B. The pin 16 has a squared head 16a on one end and a cotter pin 16b extending through the other end for confining it against accidental removal from the bracket.

The standard S is tapered longitudinally and of U- form in cross-section to provide a pocket in which shank K is slidably received and held against any turning movement, and so that it is capable of being longitudinally adjusted for the purpose previously described herein. It is adapted to be held in various positions of longitudinal adjustment by the pin 15 engaging within any one of several semi-circular recesses 17 in the rear edges of the shank. This pin 15 has a squared head 15a which abuts a projection 18 to hold the pin against turning movement, while the other end of the pin is provided with a cotter pin 19 to retain it against accidental removal. As best shown in Figs. 3 and 8 the rear edges of the standard S are connected medially of their ends by-a plate 20 against which the rear side of the shank K bears to prevent the standard from swinging rearwardlyout of the pocket.

The lower end of the standard S is formed with a hearing sleeve 21 in which the pin P is received, the ends of the pin extending into ears 22 formed on flanges 23 cast integral with the saddle D, and whereby the saddle is pivotally mounted on the lower end of the standard to adjust itself to the particular angle of the blade B which it embraces.

The clamping bracket C comprises a pair 'of parallel spaced arms 24 generally tapered from end to end, with their wide ends rounded on their upper edges and connected to each other by a correspondingly curved wall 25. Opposite this wall the lower edges of the arm's24 are formed with arcuate and alined recesses 26 in which the ends of the adapter A are rotatably mounted and held against axial displacement by flanges 27 (see Fig. 5).

The adapter A is of generally cylindrical form and has end walls 28 recessedto provide jaws 29 for grip, ping the bar R to hold the bracket C on the latte; and yet allow turning movement of the bracket with relation 3 to tli e 'idapt'e'r ih hi'dr that'the bracket maybe brought into clamping-relation to the moldboard.

Rotational movement of the adapter A in the bracket C must of necessity be limited, to prevent it from falling frorh the'brackt, and-for 'this' purpose a lug 30 is formed on the periphery of the adapter 'which in one extreme 6f thehdapter abuts -a-"lug 31 "on the inner wall ofone of the arms 24, and in the other extreme position abuts 'a moltlrla applied to one of'the arms 24 after the adapter 'ha's 'heen inserted into the recesses 26.

' The pin-16 em'ployed for'pivotally mounting the clamping'bracket'C on 'the standard S, extends through bearing ear '32 -formed"on the arms 24 at the lower edges t'he'r'eof, and through a'lined openings 33in the side portions of the s tahdard S adjacent theupper end thereof.

Thus 'thebracket is mountedfor angular adjustment on the standard to bring the -'adapter A into gripping relation to-the bar B, and thereby securely clamp the rooter attachment-as a whole in fixed position on the moldhoard.

f-hehieansofdny invention for angularly adjusting the clafmpingbracket-maybe broadly described as a device whichis s'o associated with the standard S and 'the bracket C, that by manual manipulation thereof it pro- {diices a li'ne'arforce which as transmitted to the bracket changes in angle so as to-elfect angular adjustment of the bracket, and secures the bracket in any position of adjustment. Consequently, the device can be operated withease to adjust the bracket either to clamp or release the mold-board.

*Tlie adjustingdevice in its present embodiment comprises -'a bolt 34'located between the bracket arms 24 and having the head end thereof extending through and freelyrotatable in a swivel '35, with the bolt head 36 positioned-tothe"outer side of the swivel for application o'fa' wrench' -thereto, and the swivel formed with a recess 37 toallow*unobstructed turning of the wrench. The swivel is in the form of a pivot pin with its ends ro 'tatable in bearihgs=38 in thenarrow ends of the arm 24.

"Pheadjusting device also includes a nut 39 through which the screw-threaded portion 40 of the bolt extends and in which it is'threaded. This-nut 39 is also swivelly mounted by having trunnions 41 formed thereon and rotatably fitted in bearings 42 on the rear edges of the sides-'ofthe standards at the upper ends thereof. These bearings '42 maybe of semi-circular form "as shown in oider to facilitate mounting of the trunnions 41 therein.

To fixed-lym'c'iunt the-router attachment on the moldboard M as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, the operator manipulatesthe tractor-toc'ause the blade B to place the a t'tah'ment-in'an upright position, and then runs the bladeinto' the saddle D whereupon, the clamping bracket Cis adjusted by mean-got the bolt 34 tobring the adapter 'A into- 'e'ngageinenfiwith the bar R. By'such bracket adjustment the standard S is lifted to cause the saddle Dto"setiurely'embracethe blade B, and the bracket to clanip ar id locktheadapter to the bar. Thus the entire "attachment is fixe'dlysecured on the moldboard with the tooth Tat thefoiWafd-side of the blade ready for use.

The-bracket-C- isbroug'ht into clamping position by applying awr'enc'h to the bolt head 36, and turning the bolt in a direction to feed it forwardly through the nut.

By so doing the bolt produce an axial force in the lit) by objects in the path of'the attachment when 'in u'se,"and

also against accumulation of dirt thereon to lodge between the threads of the bolt and the nut, and interfere with easy adjustment of the bolt in moving the bracket into or out of clamping position with respect to the moldboard.

In Figure 1, I have shown two rooter attachments applied to the moldboafd, to illustrate that one or more attachments can be applied and secured in any position lengthwise of the moldboard to suit the character of rooting required on a'particular-job.

Although I haveherein shown and described only one form of rooter attachment embodying my invention, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from my invention and the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

l. A rooter attachment for the moldboard of a bulldozer, including: a tooth-carrying standard-having 'atits upper end a pair-of horizontally spacedand'fixed arms formed 'on their'rear edges with "horizontally alined and spaced =be'aririgs; a clamping bracket having a pair :of elongated members fixed to each other; means pivotally mounting said members between their-ends onsaidstandard below and par allelto said -bearings'so that they "extend'forward and rearwardly' of said standardgan adapter carried by the rear ends of said members; a trunnion journalled in said bearings; a swivel journalled in the forward ends ofsaid members in parallelism withthe trunnion; and a bolt-having its threaded end portion extending diametrically through and thrcaded-in-the trunnion between said bearings, the head end portion of the bolt extending through and freely rotatable in the swivelyan'd the head of the bolt at the forward sideof the swivel to render it accessible for-turning the bolt in one direction whereby thelatter can .be fed rearwardly through the trunnion to'exert aforcewhich operates to move said bracket about the, pivotal mounting .of said members and in a'direction to elevate the forward end of the bracket and lowerthe rear end thereof for moving the adapter into engagement with the top of a moldboard.

2. A rooter attachment for the moldboard of atbtilldozer, 'including: a tooth-carrying standard having at its upper end a-pairof horizontally spaced and'fixed arms formed on their rear edgeswith horizontally alined and spaced bearings opening to the rear side of said standard; a clamping bracket having a pair of elongated members fixed to eachother; means pivotally mounting said'members between their ends on said standard below and parallel to said bearings so that they extendforward and rearwardly of said standard; an adapter carried by the rear ends of said members; a trunnion journalled in saidbearings; a swivelijournalled in the forward ends of' said members in parallelism with the trunnion; and a bolt having its threaded end portion extending diametrically' through and threaded in'the trunnion between said bearings, the head end portion of the bolt extending through and freelyrotatable in the swivel, and-the head of the bolt at the forward side of theswivel to render it accessible for turning the'bolt in'one direction whereby the latter can be fed rearwardly through the trunnion to exe'rt'a force which operates to move said bracket about the pivotal mounting of said members and in a direction ito elevate the forward end of thebracket and lowerthe rear end thereof for moving the'adapter into engagement with the top of a moldboard.

References Cited in the file of this'patent V UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,009,292 Ellett Nov. 21, 1911 2,036,598 Miller'et'al. Apr. 7, 1938 2,142,455 Needham "Jan."3, "1939 2,297,677 Forte Oct.6,-'l942 2,648,271 Youngs -Aug.-1 1, 1953 

